Hello to all,

I am new to both this forum and CW Reenacting, although I have been a reenactor of many other time periods for many years.

I am in a new unit portraying an Ohio Vol. Inf. unit and was curious about the use of the OVM buckle and plate. How much were they used, what Reg't's got them etc. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Sorry Just realized I was supposed to sign my name to the above post...Ken Berry

Ken, the 1839 Ohio Volunteer Militia buckle and plates were obviously in use prior to the war by local militias.  To ask if they were correct for your impression depends on what regiment you are portraying.  Reasearch is the key. To be on the safe side, I would start with US equipment and have a set of OVM around for when the scenario calls for it.

Oh, and by the way you can set your signature line up in your profile...that way it's automatically there.

  Hallo!

 Reusing a post...

 Hallo!

The Ohio Volunteer Militia were formed in March of 1857.

Enough "puppy paw" type waistbelts and box plates were made, and "on hand," to have gone in limited quantities to low numbered militia regiments going into service in 1861.

Examples have been found at Manassas, as well as post 1862-1863 camp sites.
Ohio QM reports still show them listed 1863-1865.

Waist belt plates and shoulder belt plates have been found from Gettysburg to Vicksburg.  (It appears no cartridge box version existed.)

These also go with the Ohio Militia shoulder belt plates (known in two state seal styles). (A surviving one, carved with the date "1863" belonged to G.W. Gates of the 15th Ohio.)

Kerksis holds these plates as being circa 1840 and 1850.

At any rate, they are limited, and unit/time/place specific.

Others' mileage will vary...

Curt

(There is a surviving wasitbelt plate with a single "arrowhead" fastener.)

Curt,

I have recently seen OVM buckles stated as "1839" and look very similar to CW era ones.  These were auctions actually...could they be mistaken?  I figured they were carried over to early regiments of the war.  

  HAllo!

 I wear a set of Ohio plates everyone once in a Blue Moon.

 Part of me looks to the rise of the state miitias in the 1830's and particularly in the 1840's and 1850's- with the explosion of "state specific" accoutrement plates.
 The other part gets hung up on the "M1839" model designation for the small 1839 style "US oval" plates and the larger mid 1840's or 'Mex War" large, flat versions of the same that ran up into the CW and even 1863ish without change up to and into the "medium" sized more rounded (convex) versions.

 So, yes, even the CW era dated plates are still, technically and officially... "M1839's."

 As a Hobbyism, we tend to refer to the small pre Mex War, "M1839" plates as "M1839's," but we do not have a hobby-wide used name for the large 1840's and early 1860's versions to replace "M1839" within reenacting.

 Curt

Thanks for the info guys!

Ken